COMPANY NEWS

Safety First

Coates Hire is rolling out a new safety feature for boom lifts that will lift the safety level of its entire fleet.

A massive investment in the new JLG Skyguard enhanced control panel protection system for boom lifts will position Coates Hire as offering the safest machines in this category in Australia.

According to Executive General Manager (Fleet) Ashley Lancaster, the decision to retrofit the existing fleet of boom lifts was taken in the last quarter of 2014 and the program initiated in November. He anticipates the full fleet will be fitted with the 1113 new safety systems by August this year, and all new boom lift fleet purchased will be equipped with the JLG Skyguard as standard.

“It will save the lives of our customers,” Lancaster says. “No other hire company that I’m aware of is retrofitting their fleet completely.”

The safety system takes the form of a sensor activated by 23 kilograms of force so that when an obstacle is encountered, the control system automatically accesses the functions in use by the operator and activates a reverse feature. At the same time a warning horn sounds, with a flashing strobe available as an additional option. A breakaway feature activates in extreme conditions. The system can be reset by a cycling foot switch or e-stop.

The sensor, which can be activated from a number of angles, does not reduce the work envelope of the boom lift or increase the platform profile or limit its use.

The design has no moveable parts to avoid the need for additional scheduled maintenance and can be fitted to all combustion-powered JLG boom lifts from 2004, with universal ground modules.

Lancaster says the safety system-fitted machines will be available in all the Coates Hire branches and access specialist hubs throughout the country.

“We have the safest fleet of boom lifts available for hire in Australia,” he says.